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UltravioletPhotography

A semifisheye attachment that does work in UV


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Normally I wouldn't touch front attachment gadgets with a ten feet pole. However, real life sometimes carry surprises up its convoluted sleeves. Yesterday I walked past a local flea market and couldn't resist being offered a 'Kenlock Semifisheye Converter Series VII' for the princely sum of USD 5,-. I bought it because the glass looked pristine and coating, if any, appeared to be very simple.

 

Today, I attached it to a Petri 35 mm f/3.5 through a series VII to 52 mm adapter, a K4 ring (to hold a Baader U2"), and finally a 52 to 49 step down ring. Put the contraption on my Panasonic GH 2 and indeed this set up works very well in UV. Focus wasn't exactly to infinity, but I probably can adjust the Petri-m43 adapter to take up the difference. On the other hand, one now could focus to the front of the attachment instead.

 

No time for making a photo of this item, but there is currently one over at eBay for a very low price.

 

http://www.ebay.com/...R-/161236365820

 

I guess the attachment has a factor of around 0.4X. The angular coverage was a bit wider than my 14-42 Panasonic lens set at 14 mm.

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That's interesting, Bjørn. I just tested some wide-angle lenses for UV and will be making a long post soon. When you have time, it would be great to see some example pictures taken with the lens.
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Apparently there are a gaggle of such items sold under different brand names.

 

Here is another that is identical to the one I got,

 

http://www.ebay.com/...%3D161236365820

 

 

Look around on the 'net sites and you probably will unearth hundreds of these.

 

Some of these attachements carry the designation 0.42X, which fits well with my initial guesstimate of the magnification factor involved.

 

Image quality might be OK with the master lens stopped well down. Now, one would use such gadgets to create UV pictures outside the constraints of pure documentary work I'd guess, so sharpness performance per se is less important.

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... one would use such gadgets to create UV pictures outside the constraints of pure documentary ...

 

These are the pictures I am eagerly awaiting from you.

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Hm. A tall order. Will see what I can come up with. Experimental UV wasn't on my planned agenda these days.

 

The aim with my post was to draw attention to a gadget that must be all too often overlooked these days. Prices are still ridiculously low if any one wants to grab such items. That might change.

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Experimental UV is FUN!! I'll bet you can work it into your current shooting gig.

Pleeeeezzzzzeeeeeeeee. Rather: vær så snill as to shoot a little UV experiment.

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Quite rainy today, but I availed myself of a short break-up of the blanket clouds to shoot a few preliminary test shots. GH2 with Petri 35/3.5 and the Kenlock attachment.

 

First, a dandelion to verify the UV signature is there. Th flower head is partially closed due to the previous rain, but the darkness in the centre of the capitulum is a tell-tale sign.

 

Kenlock_Petri_GH2_T1505140242.jpg

 

A few minutes later, the setting sun broke free from the cloud layer,

 

Kenlock_Petri35_GH2_T1505140252.jpg

 

So yes, the lens attachment works.

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The nice bonus was the Baader filter could easily be sandwiched in between the fisheye attachment and the lens, using nothing more than two step rings and a spacer.
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Nice one! It will keep me busy for a while. :D

(...trying to figure out how you did this...)

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"(...trying to figure out how you did this...)"

 

Shooting straight into the sun can make wonders for the outcome. In particular when the Baader filter itself reflected strongly back into the front attachment to create a pretty solar disc-shaped flare.

 

Today, I put the Kenlock on one of my Noflexars with the modified Nikon D3200 (the one with built-in Baader U2"). Since the optical pathway had no front filtration, focus could be put further back but infinity still isn't quite there. Nothing to worry about really as this combination isn't suited for the total view of the grand landscape anyway.

 

However, I did have some fun shooting the D3200 hand held which was easily within reach without resorting to excessively elevated ISO or long exposures. The one below is 1/13 sec, ISO 400 and the Noflexar set to f/6.3. My impression is this combination improves on the Petri/Kenlock with the GH2 as far as image quality is concerned, but of course don't expect miracles. The UV signature of the dandelion mop is there though and the exserted styles are all black as they should be for a proper UV record.

 

D3200_35Noflexar_Kenlock_T1505152331.jpg

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